


Apologies and Friendships

by Burrahobbit



Series: "Simpler" verse [5]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Chara Needs a Hug, Chara is sassy, Gen, Houseplant Flowey, Nonbinary Chara and Frisk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-10-20 08:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10658994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burrahobbit/pseuds/Burrahobbit
Summary: Chara tries to make up for what they did wrong. Along the way, they find out that sometimes forgiveness takes time, and sometimes they've been forgiven long before they apologized.(Set in the Simpler universe, but won't be Papyrus centric.)





	1. Dead Children

**Author's Note:**

> Wisepuma23 wanted a fic where Papyrus and Chara interacted, and I've felt like writing Chara anyways, so... I guess here we go!

Frisk stood on the sidewalk of their school, waiting for Sans to get them from school. Chara floated impatiently beside them, their arms crossed.

"He could at least come a little early so we don't have to wait," the ghost child complained.

'You're not the one who has to stand around,' Frisk signed back.

"I'm just saying that he's a little too lazy for my tastes. I don't know what you see in him that makes you like him."

Frisk thought for a moment, scanning the streets.

'He's funny, and kind, and I really think that even though he has severe depression, he wants what's best for those he cares about.'

Chara huffed, uncrossing their arms. "Fair enough. I still like Papyrus better, though."

Frisk laughed quietly, shaking their head. 'I don't like either better. They're both good, in their own ways.'

Chara rolled their eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we all know you're a goody-two-shoes."

Frisk moved their hand, as if to put it on Chara's nonexistent shoulder, then pulled it away.

'You're good too, Chara. You've just made some mistakes. We all do.'

"But not like my mistakes." Chara crossed their arms again and looked at the road. "Look, I don't want to talk about it."

Frisk sighed, turning back to watching the road. After another minute, Papyrus' familiar red car pulled up, with said skeleton riding in the driver's seat.

"Sorry for the lateness! Sans was unable to pick you up today, so I had to fill in for him!"

The human got into the passenger seat, strapping the seatbelt on.

"Alrighty, human! Let's get you home!"

The skeleton pulled away from the school, driving onto the main road.

Frisk turned to the ghost and signed, 'Would you like to go see Flowey? I could ask Papyrus to stop by his apartment to say hi.'

Chara shrugged. "Whatever. I don't care."

Frisk waited until they reached a stoplight, then signed at Papyrus that they wanted to say hi to Flowey. Their friend happily agreed to the detour, saying that Flowey was in sore need of company.

The ride was short, and Papyrus led them up to his small apartment.

Papyrus directed the child to his room, where he said Flowey was sitting and pouting.

"I'm sure he'll want out soon, though," Papyrus assured the human, putting an apron on. "As much as he says he doesn't care, I know he likes watching me cook. He'll even help with chores sometimes! I really think he's making progress."

Frisk grinned at him, then made their way to the bedroom. Flowey was sitting on the windowsill, just as Papyrus had said.

The flower looked at them as they entered, his neutral expression turning annoyed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, turning back to stare out the window.

Frisk signed to Chara, 'Should I leave you two alone?'

Chara scoffed. "Is this some kind of intervention? You know he can't see me."

The human took off a necklace from around their neck. It said 'Best Friends Forever.'

"Fine," Chara relented. "But you'll come back in a few minutes, right?"

Frisk nodded, putting the locket around Flowey's stem. The flower looked down at the heart locket.

"Where did you get this?!" He asked, turning around. He stilled, staring at something just behind Frisk that they could no longer see.

"Chara?"

"Yeah, Azzy. It's me."

Frisk walked out of the room, leaving the two to talk. Papyrus was sitting in a chair, waiting for water to boil and playing idly with a tea cup.

"Oh, Frisk! Back so soon?"

The human sat down, and Papyrus prepared them both tea.

"Might I ask what happened? It seemed that you were only in there for a minute."

Frisk hesitated in their answer.  
'I... wanted to leave him alone. It's a long story.'

Papyrus slid them a cup. "We have some time."

The story was pretty long, and Frisk did their best to tell it. They told a story about Boss Monsters, siblings, death, and a golden flower child with more power than he could handle.

Then, they talked about a human who turned into a ghost, and who helped Frisk through their journey.

Papyrus was silent through Frisk's speech, listening with rapt interest.

"Thank you for telling me this, Frisk. I appreciate your honesty." The skeleton looked down at his golden flower tea. "I'll be honest with you, I did know parts of the story, from memory or guessing, but I'm glad you were willing to tell the rest of it."

Frisk smiled brightly at him, then finished their tea and went back into the room.

Flowey seemed misty eyed, and although they couldn't see Chara, they knew their friend probably was as well.

'Was it nice to see them again?' Frisk asked.

Flowey sighed, wiping at his eyes with leaves.

"We've still got a ways to go in repairing our relationship, but... yeah. I guess. Whatever."

Frisk took the locket back and put it back around their neck, their ghost friend reappearing before their eyes.

'We'll come back soon, Flowey,' Frisk promised, making their way to the door.

"Wait!" Flowey said, seemingly surprising even himself. "Could you... take me into the kitchen? Papyrus said he was going to bake cookies, and I'd hate to miss out just cuz the idiot forgot me in here or something."

Frisk laughed and happily complied, placing the flower on the kitchen counter to watch Papyrus cook.

The skeleton drove them back a few minutes later, telling them he hoped they'd come back soon.

Frisk told him they surely would.


	2. New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara makes a new friend. Papyrus is excited, as always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I promise, though, that I'm not giving up on this fic!

Chara was beaming at them, their eyes pleading.

They'd been childishly ignoring Frisk's suggestions to see Toriel and Asgore - which, they were a child, but it was still silly.

But then they'd mentioned Papyrus, and suddenly Chara became enthralled with the idea of meeting him.

"Him and Undyne are, like, my idols now. You have to let me meet them!"

Frisk laughed quietly, then nodded in agreement.

'Of course.'

The child texted Papyrus that they wanted to hang out, walking downstairs after to ask Toriel if it was alright. The proper plans were made, and Papyrus arrived twenty minutes later in his red car.

His shirt said 'don't trust atoms, they make up everything.' The skeleton groaned as he noticed Frisk looking at the clothing.

"Sans got it for me, and he's been pestering me to wear it."

'Speaking of science, how's both your work going?'

Papyrus perked up. "Excellently! Sans is fitting right in - and it seems like he's adapting to aboveground science really well!"

There was a pause as Frisk waited for more. Realizing that was it, Frisk continued. 'And? What about you?'

Deflating a bit, Papyrus sighed. "It's... hard, adjusting. I keep feeling like I'm back in Gaster's lab all over again, and it... it makes me freeze up. But I'm doing better lately! That's something!"

 

The rest of the ride, they listened to music, only continuing their conversation when they got into the apartment.

"Flowey's working on a painting right now. I told him it helps calm me down, and he decided to try it."

Frisk smiled at the mention of Flowey, giggling as they imagined him painting with a brush in his mouth.

'I actually wanted you to meet a friend of mine,' Frisk signed.

"Really? Well, any friend of yours is a friend of mine."

The human quickly explained how the locket worked, then took it off and offered it to the skeleton.

Papyrus eagerly grabbed said locket, putting it around his neck. Almost immediately, he saw a floating child appear before him.

"Oh! Are you the friend?"

"Yes! I'm the friend!" Chara agreed exuberantly.

'This is Chara Dreemurr,' Frisk explained.

"I've heard about you! It's nice to finally meet you."

"You as well!"

Though Frisk couldn't see Chara anymore, they could still hear the older child, and they chimed into the conversation from time to time. Papyrus and Chara were getting along amazingly, and Frisk felt their heart warm.

Finally, Chara was able to get some new interaction going. Though Frisk was sure their friend enjoyed talking to them and Flowey, it was nice that they were also making other friends.

They might be a ghost stuck with Frisk, but they could make the most of it.

Eventually, however, Toriel texted that it was time to go home. Papyrus wished them well, and promised that next time he'd make sure Flowey could hang out too.

Both children left feeling lighter when they arrived.


End file.
